For me, fashion designing is a calling —Bashy Kuti

Popular Ibadan-based wardrobe consultant and fashion designer, Bashy Kuti, in this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO speaks on how he has survived in the business for more than fifteen years and how it feels winning the Men’s Custom Designer of the Year Award.

How does it feel winning the Men’s Custom Designer of The Year Award at the 5th Glam and Essence Awards?

I feel very proud and thankful that the BKK Ultimo brand could be considered for such a prestigious award. I was not even expecting to win any award but when I got the call from the organisers of the award that I would be honoured that day, I felt very happy because it was not something that I actually expected.

Of course, one cannot rule out the fact that we have done well for ourselves at BKK in the fashion industry this year but that does not mean we are the best in the industry. I thank Susan Eyo-Honesty, founder, Glam and Essence Style Awards and her team for the huge honour conferred on my brand. The year has been quite eventful. We have won a couple of awards this year, but this latest one stands tall.

When I was contacted for the award, I was shocked. I was, because when you consider the works of other talented designers around and how they strive to put their materials out there, you would know that you must have done quite well to have been considered for the honour. I appreciate those who considered me worthy. For me, we are already looking forward to 2017.

Some people believe that you didn’t deserve the award and that it should have gone to other top fashion designers. What do you think earned you the award?

I don’t want to argue with those who might have said that. But let me just tell you that if you know Susan Eyo, founder of Glam and Essence Style awards and her track records in the industry, you would know she has done justice to the job because she’s a very hardworking woman who understands the fashion terrain very well. This is the fifth edition of the awards and they have proved over the years that they are well-grounded in the fashion industry. As I said, I was not expecting to win, but I was not ruling it out either. I love my job and I have continued to show over the years that fashion designing is a calling for me. I would not know what earned me the award as I was not part of the decision makers, so I can’t tell you what they might have seen in the Bkk brand that convinced them. That’s how much I can say about that.

How do you see the BKK brand now after winning the award?

I don’t have to work hard because there is an award to be won. I just have to keep doing what I am doing and continue to get better at it. So, I don’t have to see the BKK brand in any other light aside the way I have seen it before. The brand has continued to evolve over the years and the recognitions we have been getting from within and outside the country show that we are doing well. I read a lot of comments on Facebook about the award that I won, but I tried to explain to people that while it is good to win awards, at least it shows that some people are paying attention to what you are doing; I believe that there is more to our job than to winning awards. If awards come, we will be glad, but our focus has never been about winning awards. I appreciate everybody who has contributed to the growth and success of the brand; my friends, clients, family and my staff. They have been very loyal and committed to how far we have come in the industry.

With over fifteen years in the fashion business, how do you intend to keep the momentum going?

I always tell my clients that in anything that is beautiful, if you check it very well, you would discover that there is simplicity in it. I believe so much in simplicity. We have a lot of designers out there and I give it Nigerian designers. We are all working hard to make sure that Nigerians patronise Nigerian designers. For me, keeping the momentum is to keep doing what we have always been doing. The fashion industry is too big for anybody to claim he wants to take it over, but you can make your mark and concentrate on what makes you different. As a clothier, you must have something striking about your job that people will not get elsewhere.

People know that I am a fabric person, so there is no point stepping out of that because I want to stay relevant. I have stayed on this job for a long time to know what the industry dictates and know when to strike. Sometime ago, I came up with the Sai Baba style and everybody fell in love with it. Many designers picked up the style and went to town with it. We have introduced a handful of designs after then that people really love. We will keep working on new inventions that have our trademark. I am proud to come up with designs that a lot of people have copied. It shows that I am doing the right thing. So, for me, the job is not to keep the momentum going, it is to concentrate on our area of strength and make sure nobody beats us to our game.

Why has it become impossible for you to expand your business to other parts of the country, especially Lagos?

I don’t know why people keep asking me to relocate to Lagos even when many business owners in Lagos are already relocating to Ibadan. I deliver to every part of the country from Ibadan and I am abreast of happenings in Lagos and other parts of the country, so what’s the fuss about going to Lagos? It is not impossible to relocate; I think I am more comfortable in Ibadan. The truth is that your clients will locate you, no matter where you operate from, as long as they know you would give them the value for their money and stress. We have opened a branch in London and our clients from that side of the world can begin to enjoy the services of BKK without any hitch. Opening branches everywhere does not mean your job is growing or people have to come accept your brand. What it means is that you want to be visible everywhere, but it still does not mean your business has grown. Some people only want to expand because they are being pressured to do so. For us at BKK Ultimo, we will expand at the right time. For now, we will only expand when there is need for it and it is not going to be about relocating my factory to another state. We can only have a pick up or collection centre in Abuja.

How have you survived in Ibadan for over fifteen years on this job?

When you set up a business, you must always know why you are going into the business. For me, I didn’t just wake up and say the next thing to do is to be a fashion designer. I have always known a lot about fabrics because I was privileged to have learnt about it from my late sister. She taught me a lot about fabrics and I fell in love with it since then. I didn’t start the business in Ibadan, I actually started from Lagos but I relocated to Ibadan in the 90s because I wanted to have fresh air. I wanted to focus more on fabrics, so I moved to Ibadan. Surviving has not been easy but thank God we are still standing tall. We have grown over the years and the city is now getting bigger as more people have continued to come into the city to establish their business as a result of government’s efforts to help small and big scale businesses to grow. I owe my success in Ibadan to God and my very committed clients, who have stood by us through thick and thin. We have survived for the more than fifteen years, but the truth is that we are still struggling to catch up with our colleagues outside of Ibadan.

For somebody who is said to be the wardrobe consultant for governors, senators and captains of Industry, do you really think you are still struggling?

I don’t know who told you I have governors and senators as my clientele. I can’t remember telling you anything of such. Maybe if you can mention the governors and senators that patronise me, I would be able to tell you if you’re right or wrong. As far as I am concerned, I won’t discuss or reveal the names of my clients on the pages of newspaper. It has never been part of my character. If you say these people patronise me, I am grateful to God.

You are always seen at parties within and outside Ibadan, how do you manage to see what happens inside your office?

I attend parties a lot because people who I sew for usually invite me to their parties and I can’t turn them down and this does not affect my business in anyway. I am very much involved in what goes in and comes out of BKK. Nothing comes in or goes out without my consent. I have capable hands working for me, but that does not mean I don’t pay attention to my work. My input is very important in BKK.